Blake Lively has filed a lawsuit against her co-star and director, Justin Baldoni, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and lost wages. The lawsuit, filed in New York federal court, mirrors previous complaints filed with the California Civil Rights Department. Lively claims Baldoni sexually harassed her on the set of their movie and hired a crisis management team to destroy her reputation after a meeting addressing his alleged behavior.
In addition to Baldoni, Lively is suing his crisis manager, Melissa Nathan, his publicist, Jennifer Abel, and Wayfarer Studios, which produced the film. The lawsuit accuses these parties of violating federal and California state laws by retaliating against Lively for reporting harassment and safety concerns. Her attorneys stated that the decision to speak out has led to further retaliation and attacks, prompting the lawsuit in New York. Lively reserves the right to pursue further action in other venues as appropriate under the law.
During the filming of the romantic drama, Lively claims there was an “all-hands” meeting about Baldoni’s alleged on-set behavior. The lawsuit states that Baldoni was asked to refrain from showing nude videos, mentioning his past porn addiction and sexual conquests, and making inappropriate comments about the cast and crew’s genitalia. Lively alleges that Baldoni was also asked not to add sexually charged scenes outside the pre-approved script and to stop inquiring about her weight and dead father. Baldoni’s attorney refuted the allegations, claiming they were false and intended to hurt his client’s reputation.
Lively further alleges in her lawsuit that Baldoni was behind a campaign to spread negative stories about her after he retained a crisis manager, using social manipulation to damage her reputation. The suit includes text messages indicating that Baldoni wanted to harm Lively and that a digital army was used to create and promote content designed to influence public opinion. Baldoni’s attorney called Lively’s claims a desperate attempt to fix her reputation and denied any proactive retaliation against her. Lively stated she hopes her legal action exposes retaliatory tactics and protects others from being targeted.
Baldoni and several others named in Lively’s lawsuit filed their own $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times for alleged libel, false light invasion of privacy, promissory fraud, and breach of contract. They accused the Times of participating in a smear campaign orchestrated by Lively’s team and aiding in a PR smear campaign to revitalize Lively’s public image. The New York Times defended their reporting, stating it was meticulously and responsibly done, based on thousands of original documents. They plan to vigorously defend against the lawsuit brought by Baldoni and the other plaintiffs.
The legal battle between Lively, Baldoni, and other parties continues as both sides stand by their claims and counterclaims. In the midst of the allegations and lawsuits, the focus remains on the accusations of sexual harassment, retaliation, and attempts to damage reputations. The lawsuit highlights the importance of addressing workplace misconduct and ensuring that those who speak out are protected from retaliation. As the legal proceedings unfold, the truth behind the allegations and the motivations of the parties involved will be revealed through court proceedings and evidence presented.
